[TR] Alpental, Rap Wall

[dan_e]

Just a brief TR on the Rap Wall drytooling area above Source Lake. Sorry no pics since I forgot the camera.

 

This was my third trip to Rap Wall this season, the first two were before any snow had fallen. The approach trail (summer) is in good shape, as it's still being packed out by hikers. Getting to the wall was another story, basically waist deep postholing. It's a good thing it's not that far from the trail.

 

As for the routes, well there was a fair amount of snow, however the climbs are still all fully exposed. There was some ice of ice, but most of it was annoying and made the two climbs we did at least a grade harder, not to mention having to chip ice of bolts and not finding chains because they were buried! I had several falls, one was pretty long (20+') and fully inverted

 

That being said I think there should be quite a bit more ice formed by the weekend which could make for fun mixed climbing.

 

Important Note: I installed a bolt on the route with the roof that has the larger than fist crack in it (the crack is now filled with ice). The bolt is just at the apex of the roof, to the right of the crack. I fell on the bolt several times so it's been tested. I heard Chad Kellogg fell on the original bolt and it pulled out! I was really lucky that ice has formed a damn above it so the hole was bone dry. The hole was drilled fine, not sure why the original bolt pulled.

[Alex]

Nice. I think it was you that so long ago was with me up there trying some thin mixed stuff, and fell off what from 20 feet up with now pro and landed in a big pile of snow!

[lazyalpinist]

Alpental Falls look in?

[dan_e]

Nice. I think it was you that so long ago was with me up there trying some thin mixed stuff, and fell off what from 20 feet up with now pro and landed in a big pile of snow!

 

I was just telling a friend about that Alex! Man that was a long time ago!

[dan_e]

Alpental Falls look in?

 

Nope, but they are forming so maybe this weekend.